davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

EX-Gov. Smith, the Central Vermont
president, is quoted rs telling a reporter, or
saying in conversation, that II notice the
newspapers say the coal stove must 90.
viii they please tell us what to put in its
place do not want to take it out and
freeze our passengers before there is some
thing to put in its place The newspapers
do not take kindly to this way of stating u
question which affects every person who
ever has occasion to ride in a rail car, and
for the reason that there are too many
things which show that there are other fea-
sible means of heating than the deadly coal
stove. Two roads in Massachusetts,, the
Connecticut River and the Boston & Albany,
are successfully heating their cars by steam,
the first using the Emerson system and the
latter the Martin system. The officials of
both roads state their belief that some sys-
TEN of steam heating is the coming thing
on all railroads. The Maine Central com
pany is testing Il system similar to the En-
erson and Martin methods. The method of
heating the New York elevated cars from
and the system is being adopted on the
Long Island railroad. The Providence,
Warren K Bristol road is trying steam heat
ON one of its trains, and the president of
the Providence 4 Worcester company sees
no objection to the use of steam which is
not sure to be overcome,
The fact is, that since the Hartford dis
aster there is no longer any question but
that the deadly car stove must go, and
without waiting for the newspapers to
''please tell'' the railroads what is to take
its place the managers of every leading line
will go to work at once to discover and use
the best device for this purpose And the
Central Vermont company won't be found
in the rear end of the procession either,
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

around the earth and was Of the average
excellence of Massachusetts roads, person
might ride its length one hundred and
twenty five times before it would come his
turn to he killed--nnd the Central Vermont
road is at least up to the Massachusetts, NV
erage.'
The eastern superintendent Of the Pull
man palace car company is reported as say
ing that henCeforth stoves are to be bnnish.
ished from its coaches. "The Hartford acct
dent neccSsltates IA change in the method Of
of hcnting We have given the subject a
great deal of attention, and it will not be
long before we shall have our cars heated
in such a manner that the lives of our ms
sengers will no longer he endangered by
fire, and such horrors as this Vermont at
fair he impossible
The disaster has stimulated the New York
railroad commissioners to take active mems
ures for the investigation of improved
methods of lighting aud heating railroad
cars. The board held special hearing nt
Albany ON Wednesday when prominent rail
road men from various parts of the coun-
try gave evidence which shows that sew
eral methods Of heating, both bv steam and
hot air, are in use. 1t appeared that a sys-
tenn of lighting cars 10y electricity general
ed 10y chemicals is in successful use
The Buffalo Express says that system of
heating cars 10y steam from the locomotive
has been in use for four years on the Dun
kirk, Allegheny Valley 4 Pittsburg road.
The system is described as simple, mex
pensive, quickly adjusted and easily adapt
cd to the conditions of the weather" The
engineer who runs train that uses this
system says the amount of steam taken
Ersf,r fl..,I ...tI. ..
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
Whnt the Ceutral Vermont Manage
ment Say about the Accident, the Care
of the Wounded, The Loss, etc.

Inc central vermont olllclals, lhcIuulhs
eX-Gov. Smith, Mr.. Hobart, and Superu-
tendent Foss. returned to St Adams from
the Scene or the accident nt the Machining
l.:......t- ~ ..,.il.. -
''''
SP"huehU oil 'hc po7V"i' '"url'"l aN uaIkl"s
rs follows
Tile question of loss to the company bv
the destruction of the bridge and rolling
stucl, wa, a secondary consideration com
pared with the matter of relieving the suf-
ferings of the injured and caring for the
dead. The officers Of the road were con
stantly on duty at the scene of the wreck,
and they had instruction to spare no eN-
penSe to make wounded passengers rs com
Portable as possible, to relieve their wants
and provide such things as they required
Whatever sum of money was paid out was
expended in the interest of humanity, and
the report sent out that the company was
forcing the injured passengers to settle for
personal damages was both malicious and
untrue. The reports published as to the
loss to the company by the disaster are
greatly exaggerated, and great Injustice
has been done the Central ermont bv mis-
statements which have been made concern
ing the ability of the road to meet the in
terest on its bonds.
"a careful estimate has been made of the
incidental expense of the wreck, such as
caring for the injured and dead. clearing
the wreck, erecting a new trestle bridge.
replacing the burned cars and substituting
a frst-class iron bridge for the one destroy
ed and the total loss foots up less than $50
600. Under no circumstances will it ex-
coed this amount The company proposes
to begin the construction of an iron bridge
$50 feet long over White river at once, and
tenders for building the new bridge have
already been invited
This estimate, of course, does not include
damages for personal injuries by whomso-
ever paid. Concerning the financial con
dition of the road, they say THE Central
Vermont was never stronger financially
than at the present time. The road did a
/ larger and better paving business in 1885
/ than in any single wear of its history. and
/ the present freight and passenger traffic is
| greater than ever before at this season of
/ the year.
As to the general policy of the manage
ment in regard to the operation and main
tenance of the road, Gov. Smith remarked 4:
The company has always sought to pro
cure the services of the best men for every
department of its service, and it has been
the policy of the road TO build rolling stock
of the most approved STYLES. and to furnish
its cars with ali modern improvements As
to heating our cars. we began with wood
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
Wilmington.

ORDINATION OF REV. d. W. PHELPS.
An ecclesiastical council met with the
Baptist church on Wednesday, Feb 10Th TO
consider the propriety of ordaining to the
work of the gospel ministry Dryden W.
Phelps, pastor elect. The council was or
ganized by the choice of Rev. f. ]. Parry
OF Brattleboro as moderator and Rev. A. d.
Spauldlng of West Brattleboro as clerk
After very clear and sound statement
from the candidate concerning his Christian
experience, call to the ministry. and views
OF Christian doctrine the council voted
unanimously TO proceed TO ordination. Ser
vices were held in the afternoon in accord
anee with the following program
Sermon-text ! Tim. 1:1i, Rev. S. d. Pbelps.
u, D., Hartford, Conn. father Of the candidate
:, Ofdaihlng prayer-lfev. A. d. Spauding, West
brattleboro.
:, Welcome to the ministry Rev. A. W. Goodnow,
a charge to candidate Rev II. A. King, Spring.
Charge TO church Rev. f. j. Parry Brattleboro
behediction-Rey ID, w Phelps
A, d. SPAuLDlSG, clerk.
5, II. Andrews, who has been absent on a
business trip for several days has returned.
Earnest Fairbanks has returned from
Montpelier and will take a position in New
York.
Rev Richard Morgan, presiding elder.
paid an official visit to the N. E. church ON
Wednesday,
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

try in the confederate army does not cN-
cudc them from the benefit, Cd the act.
There certainly j.. inconsistency in this, and
it discrimination was TO bee shown it should
have been ir favor of the veterans of the
Union army.
The fuct remains, however, that our en-
tire pension system has grown to such "A
state Of mcouguity That it ought to Ice
thoroughly ovcrhaulcd aud recognized ON
some well defined system before any such
sweeping addition is made to it as the de
pendent pension bill proposes.
II we understand the matter Alright, it
IS practically thi, same view which Capt
Fred Mack Of this county holds and which
he gave public expression to three or four
years ago-und Capt. Mack is himself a
Union veteran, who has long held AN i'm
portant place in the pension department
and who believes in generously pensioning
every old soldier who suffered disability in
his cuuntrv's service.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

There were nearly 100 delegates present
at the third annual convention of the Won
ans Relief Corps held in Bennington last
week, The reports presented showed IA
prosperous condition Of the order At the
beginning of the last fiscal year there were
II corps, now there are %; there were
6Ss members at the beginning of the year,
now the membership !, 1891, exclusive of
the last now corps which had 20 charter
members. The several corps have paid for
relief AN aggregate of SINAI.
Mrs. Amanda I, Newcomb Of Montpelier
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
VERMONT PHGlNX, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY

in two safety beams which interlock under
the car, and which prevent either Of the
connected platforms from riding the other
in a collision. These beams keep both cars
on the same level and the shock Of a coils
ion is thus expended ON the edges of the
floors, which, Of course oppose a very great
and practically insurmolntable resistance
TO the pressure. This platform is the in
vention Of the president of the Chicago and
Alton railroad company, and that corpora
ton has had it in use for fifteen years. On
that one line telescopng is no longer posi-
BILE, yet-and it is practical commentary
on the public spirit Of all the other compan-
ies-no other corporation has yet adopted
an invention the Importance Of which is so
obvious. The truth u.s. that railroad com
panies require great deal Of urging to
make them do their duty to the public. AZ
ter the recent horrible disasters that fact
will hardly be questioned " y. Tribune.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
\ New Theory a. TO the Cnu.e of the
Accident.

\ Brockton passenger in the smoking car,
who escaped unhurt, has "a theory, which is
published this morning, that the derailmcnt
of the ears was due to the sudden Stacking
of the speed by the engineer in answer to a
signal from the conductor by the bell cord
that he was running too fast.
This mans name i, Remilla.d, we'll
known die manufacturer, and his story is,
in brief, that
"A few minutes before the accident oc-
CURED he was told by the conductor that if
he went back 10 the next passenger coach
he would be able to 20 through to his DIES
tinatiun without further change of cars. In
company with another gentleman and the
conductor he started to 90 back. The 9th
er two men were in advance Of him, and
as they reached the platform the conductor
looked out and made the remark: The train
is running faster than it ought to- lie then
reached up and pulled the signal cord. This
was followed by sudden Stacking of
the speed that Mr.. Remilard was thrown
off his feet, and instantly the rear cars left
the track. Mr., Remillard is confident that
it was the sudden slackening of speed that
caused the cars to rebound from the track
ne saW llc car next 10 Uhe smoker, mt
which his acquaintance and the conductor
had just stepped, tear away and topple over
the bridge The jar had stunned him, but
he hurried as soon as possible to the wreck
and assisted in the rescue Of the unfortu-
nate passengers who were pinned down by
the debris.
The important bearing Of Mr.. Remillard' :,
statement lies in the alleged fact that the
signal to the engineer was given before tn,
cars left the rails, and was for the purpost
of reducing the speed of the train. Botl
the engineer and fireman have testified t.
hearing the signal in the cab, to the imme
diate application of air brakes and 10 see
ing the ears topple over the bridge, but THU
is the first intimation that the cars had not
left the track when the signal was given,
We are not inclined to give much ere
dence to this story, at least not until we are
told why Mr., Remilard has not sooner
brought his statement to public attention
The railroad commissioners, win, however
undoubtedly take measures to ascertain OIL
what foundation the story rests,
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
A New Theory as to the Cause Of the
Accident.

The work of Identification of the bodies
taken from the Central Vermont wreck at
Hartford has gone ON during the last week,
and il is now said that all the bodies have
been identified Tie railroad commission
ers have been diligently engaged with their
investigation, and it will probably he com
pleted and the result announced before an
other issue of this paper. Below are such
facts in detail us have been made public
from day to day.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
To Pre,enl TeIe.coning.

1t has been the fashion to pretend that
the Miller platform and coupling were the
best works of mechanical invention in their
line, but it is notorious that the former
does not and cannot prevent the most
fiightfully destructive of all railroad acct
dents, and that which every serious coils
ion produces, namely, the telescoping of
cars In all such eases the Miller platform
may hold together, hut as the floor of one
car is lifted above that of another and
slides over it, the strength Of the platform
only helps to break down the weak sides Of
the eur through which it crashes and SO
makes the destruction greater. Clearly
what is wanted is some device which in
collision will prevent the platforms from
mounting one upon another; which will
hold them down and 81 force the shock 10
expend.i itself cndwisc under which condi-
tons telescnping would be impossible, or
nearly 50, and consequently all the other
casualties which follow upon telescoping
would be ohyiated. Now the Railroad and
Engineering Journal contains a descrip-
ton of platform which fills this very want
completely. Its peculiar feature consists
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

The Central Vermont company made quick
and thorough work of bridging the chasm
caused by the disaster Last Saturday night
a substantial trestle was completed in place
Of the burned bridge on Sunday it was
successfully tested first with light engine
and train and then with heavy one, and
ON Monday regular traffic was resumed.
Much of the heavy timber Of which the
trestle was built was standing i'm the for
ests when the accident happened and it is
needless to say that it required quick and
well organized work to cut it, saw it, ship
it to the spot and have it in actual use in
less than week.
A White River junction despatch of
Wednesday night says \ special car,
placed at the disposal of the injured this
morning, took o. Bnisvert, merchant of
Angeline, Que, and his wife to their home.
Mr.. Boisvert has been considered as one of
the most seriously injured, but stood the re-
moval and trip well. The only remaining
bodies at the morgue were this morning
fully identified as those of Peter Mcl4ain of
Acton, Que, and Dieudonne Maigret of
Shawinigon, Que,
Statements are made with much explic-
illness, as mentioned last week, alleging that
the railroad company hastily made settle
MINUS WIN such persons as tney could VINO
We're injured or lost friends in the wreck,
and for very small sums. The names of
three parties are given one of them being
that of a Frenchman named La Beuf who
is said to have been paid $500 for the loss
of his wife and S25 for individual injuries
Another case is that of an injured man who
was taken to a house near the scene of the
accident and was there approached by an
agent and induced to settle for $50. The
railroad officials, as will be seen by their
statements printed in this issue, deny that
anything of the kind has been done. 1t is
to be hoped that the railroad commissioners
will include this subject in their investiga-
tion and satisfy the public mind in regard
10 il.
For the benefit Of people who are made
thnid about railroad travel by such disas-
tiers as have happened this winter the Rut
land Herald remarks that Statistics show
that there is less liability to injury on rail
roads than there is in the streets, or even
in our houses and if railroad extended
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
A,o,bcr ssrcn, sril.c Ended.

The collapse Of the great strike Of New York
and New Jersey longshoremen, coal aud
freight handlers came last Saturday morn
ing with an order for the men to 20 bnck
to work, and there was general scramble
for the places which had been SO foolshly
deserted two or three weeks before. In
many cases the strikers found that there
was no work for them, because new men
had been hired in their places business
was moving ON as usual, and the employers
refused to discharge new men who had
helped them through pinch. The man
ayers of the strike oveIreachcd themselves
by attempting to involve in it thousands of
men who had no possible grievance and
were in no way interested in the claims of
the coal handlers for more money. One
trade after another, however, was success
fully induced to join the strike until it
came TO the lager beer brewers, who, when
ordered to leave their work, refused TO do
so. This broke the bacl, of the movement,
and, emboldened by the position thus taken,
others who had been refraining from work
returned to places, the leaders thus losing
all control over the men.
The tremendous cost of this and other
great strikes is shown by some computa-
ton in the current Bradstreet's about the
strikes since January /. 1t estimates the
/ loss of wages of strikers in one month and
/ 10 days at - $50, 600, of which the men in
the New York and New Jersey strike lose
/ 81 .3O5 600 and boot and shoe factory men
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

Mr. Edmunds made vigorous speech in
the Senate on Tuesday in opposition to the
Eads Tehauntepec ship railway bill Mr..
in Eads and his project, and Mr.. Edmunds
is equally strong in opposition. He believes
the thing for the United States to do is to
see that the Nicaragua canal is built To
wards the end of the debate Mr.. Vest of
Missouri said it was an open secret that the
Senator from Vermont was an open and
undisguised enemy of the Tehauntepec ship
railway, and the special advocate of the
Nicaragua scheme. at is not an open Sc
cret, but an open fact, replied Mr.. Ed
munds
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
THE LATEST.
The FinnI E-timnIe b, the Associated
Press.

special To The PhuniN
An associated press bulletin received
this morning from /. 5. Hayes Of Bel
lows Falls, who ha, acted as the as,o-
ciated press agent at White River Junction
since the accident, says that final revision.
after careful and painstaking research.
establishes the fact to his own satisfaction
that only 80 persons were ON the train, and
of the 20 bodies taken to the morgue. all
have been identified and removed bv their
friends The number killed is placed at %,
the injured at 36, and the saved at p This
makes a total Of %, but the conductor.
Smith Sturtevant, was counted in both the
list of killed and in the surgeons list Of in
iured, and deducting one on this account
places the total number at 80 This final
computation was completed last night, and,
while Mr.. Hayes would be glad of any fur
ther definite information us to errors, he
feels well assured that none will be found.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

The work of Identification has gone ON
slowly. Among the bodies which have
been claimed by friends ARE those of Fred
Blais of Warren, Mass, aged Is, Mrs. VIM
Devins, jr., Of Wnooski, Agnes Rogers and
Miss Anime Guirard of Upton, =. e. This
leaves but three unidentified dead which
there is any hope that the friends can dis
tinguish, but it is probable that five or six
bodies are represented in the frag-
mcnts which fill one box. 1t is pretty Ger
tain that there were at least % persons ON
the train and of these the dead undoubted-
" number 3, There have been % identi-
tcations, three bodies remain in the morgue,
and ON this calculation there were six bod
les $50 completely burned up as to leave
nothing to distinguish them.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

The President has appointed George w.
Beckwith as postmaster at Burlington, in
place of Postmaster Derby, whose commits
seems to be a iudicious and satisfactory one.
The Free Press says: Mr.. Beckwth is
well-known citizen and has many personal
friends in both parties Since an untried
Democrat must have the Office, we know of
no one likely to be more generally accept
able To than he
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

Last week the editor of the Londonderry
Sitter was arrested ON charge of libeling
the editor of the Brattleboro Reformer.
This week he confesses that he was mis-
taken, 1t only remains for the editor of
the Reformer TO now confess that he also
was mistaken in setting an example that
mnY retuln TO plague him
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
Rough on senator swain


Windham county journalism is fearful
and wonderful thing, The editorial breth-
rem, if their statements concerning each
other can be relied upon, are an ungodly
and depraved gang of moral banditti The
fact that one of them has succeeded in 10
eating another in Jail should surprise no
one, and probably does not, There is evil
IDENTIFY something in the air of that locality
that tends to promote discord aud all un-
righteousness
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

The New York Tribune Almanac for 1887
Is now out. As usual it is one of the most
complete and reliable political textbooks of
the United States, All the figures are Off
cial The electoral vote of each state II
resume of the newest laws of Congress and
the party platforms, and full information
about elections, imports and exports, gold
and silver, etc, are given, with great va
riety of other data of everyday use Price,
30 cents copy.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18

Senator Morrill, has formulated bill for
the settlement of the governments claim
against Vermont which provides for two
commissioners to act with the governor and
auditor to adjust the accounts, and the four
are authorized to select an umpire to decide
any disagreement that may arise. The
Judgment Of these referees is to he final
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-18
a Republican Observance OF I.incOIn's
Birthday.

The Republican club of New York city
observed the birthday of Abraham Lincoln
last Saturday evening 10y a banquet and
speeches at Delmunros. 1t was the first
annual dinner of the club, which aims by
an annual gathering of party leaders to pro
mote good feeling and fellowship in the Re
publican ranks. \ large number of prom
inent Republicans from other states We're
present, including Gems. Hawey and IIar-
rison, Cows. Oglesby Foraker and Louns-
bury, ex-Speaker Grow and Henry Cabot
Lodge. Gen. lIawley responded to the
toast, Abraham Lincoln, saying in the course
of his remarks that any one who was not
satisfied with Abraham Lincoln could not
he a Democrat, but must he . Mugwump
Mr.. Depew responded for the Young Men
in Politics. saying that the man Of 40 who
could not see place for him in the politi-
cal work of the country was as old as Me
thuselah, while Hannibal Hamlin at the age
of IS, in an atmosphere ten degrees below
zero and alive to the questions of the hour,
was a youth. Mr.. Lodge responded for
Civil Service Reform, declaring that pat
ronage weakens every public man who de
ponds upon it, and that the stalking of the
existence of thousands upon the result of a
presidential election sets a premium ON
fraud and violence and is menace to the
peace and welfare OF the nation Several
more speeches We're made, and letters were
read from Messrs. Blaine and Hamlin OF
Maine, Senators Evarts and Sherman, ex
Gov. Long, Robert T. Lincoln, Andrew D.
White, and many others. The occasion wa,
one of political Importance.